Meetings At Midnight: A Deal With the Devil
by Angel's Nocturne
Summary: For YGO Fanfiction Contest Season 2. FADESHIPPING. He hates him. He wants to kill him for what he did to Mai. But as he wanders the halls of the Battle Ship, Jou is given an offer he can't refuse. How tempted is he to make a deal with the Devil? JxYM


Disclaimer: I, Angel's Nocturne, Yu-Gi-Oh! fan till the end of my days, do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!, nor will I ever… I'm still hoping, though. XP

Author's Note: OMG! OMG! (runs around screaming)

FINALLY! A pairing I've just been DYING to write a one-shot for!! Yes! YES!!

… Ahem. Well, okay, um, I guess I should mention that this one-shot is again another for Computerfreak101's YGO Fanfiction Contest, it's the ninth round, and this round the pairing is **Fadeshipping** (fangirl squeal) or **Yami no Marik x Jonouchi Katsuya** (double fangirl squeal).

'Dunno why but a few months back I got this _**terrible**_ craving to write something for this pairing. I've been yabbling about it ever since and now… here's my chance (and now, watch, I'll totally screw this up). Soooo, here we go: my first Fadeshipping.

… YAY:D

#2 Author's Note: Excuse me for my awesomely superior kawaii-ness towards this pairing being suddenly destroyed in this dark and twisted one-shot for which I have created… woo, that's a mouthful. Quotes here are from **Yu-Gi-Oh! ****Duelist** _Vol. 19_. Um, oh yeah, and _thoughts_ in _italics_!

#3 Author's Note: **Timeline**: I never usually think to add this since most of my stories happen in a sort of AU-ish time-space, but this one needs it. Set right after the Battle City quarterfinals, before they reach Alcatraz Tower. This is right after Marik defeats Bakura and Malik.

**Midnight Meetings: Deal With the Devil**

**By: Angel's Nocturne**

The corridors of the BC Battle Ship were silent, save for the humming of machinery and the drowning howl of the wind outside. Only hours ago human voices had marred the space, echoing cries of victory and groans of defeat among the passengers. The sound of footsteps and movement had been a permanent feature earlier in the evening.

Now, in the dead of night, Jonouchi felt as if he had been struck deaf. He walked down the halls, listening to his feet as they scuffed the shiny metallic floor. Beyond that and the occasional sigh he released, there was no other noise.

No other noise, no sound—no one else around. The thought, when it occurred to the blond, was both nerve-racking and relieving; though he tried desperately to get some sleep back in his room, Jonouchi had tossed and turned relentlessly, until he forced himself to take a walk and sort out his worries. It wasn't surprising to him that he could not succumb to slumber—not when the events of the day filled his every thought, refusing to allow him rest.

Rest he would need for tomorrow, if he were to survive the semi-finals. With all three of his opponents—including Yugi—holding the God cards, being the odd duelist out made his chances of winning seem even smaller than they were.

That mattered little to him now. A few hours ago, if he had known it would Yugi, Moneybags, and—dare he say the name without a snarl—_Marik_, standing beside him in the final four, he would have admitted that the path to victory was be a steep climb at best. Now, however….

_Now it doesn't matter at all. _Jonouchi shuffled along down the walkway, his hands in his pockets as copper eyes scanned the empty halls before him in contempt. _I can't think 'bout how tough da duels are gonna be._ _I can't even think 'bout my duel with __**Yuge**__. Right now, I gotta focus on one thing, and one thing only…._

And that was beating Marik. Beating him, and _killing _him.

It was the only way to save Mai. At least that was what Marik had told him: "_You have 24 hours… if you don't kill me within that time, that woman will never regain consciousness…!"_ Jonouchi had seen Mai lying in that bed, unmoving, barely even _breathing_—she wore a pained expression on her pale face, and Jou just knew that wherever her mind was, she was hurting.

Whenever he closed his eyes, he could see her, crying out to the darkness.

"_Somebody… somebody help me_!!!"

The thought of Mai suffering somewhere, alone and with no one to turn to, made the blond's blood boil. How many of his friends had fallen to the shadows? Bakura, Mai, and that man who he once thought was Marik, though it turns out he was only an imposter so that the true Marik could hide in their midst as an ally. The stranger wasn't so much a friend as he was an honorable duelist, and in Jou's heart and mind he felt that reason enough to consider him a comrade.

_He was supposed to be __**Marik's**__ comrade_, Jonouchi thought angrily, clenching his fists. _But Marik didn't even act like he __**cared**__ when the guy fell! He left him for dead, __**laughing**__…!_

He growled, not caring if anyone heard him. _He's worse than a heartless jerk, worse than Moneybags, or even the Spirit of the Ring! _Jou narrowed his amber eyes in disgust. _He's __**evil**__. Pure, demonic, __**evil**__. He's the Devil himself!!!_

Marik. The mere mention of the name made Jou's skin crawl, sometimes with anger, sometimes with fear… sometimes with feelings he couldn't quite define. Looking upon the Egyptian, he still couldn't believe he had been so easily duped into letting the teen be his _friend_! He acted so nice then, so kind and manipulative… the guy they met back during preliminaries, the one who called himself 'Namu', seemed nothing like the sinister being who hurt Mai. They seemed like two totally different people.

_That was all just a rouse_, Jou reminded himself. He turned another corner, down another hallway. He was probably lost now—all the corridors looked the same. It would be a wonder if he ever found his way back. _It was all fake—Namu was just a guise used to trick us._ Still, however, the feeling of doubt lingered as Jonouchi recalled seeing Namu before and after his duel with Marik's servant, as he imagined the expressions of the Egyptian in his mind.

Before, Marik's eyes were mysterious, laughing with a dangerous light that only now Jonouchi could perceive. The lavender orbs he saw were blank, dull pools, but they were also shallow pools at best. Their depth couldn't be conceived, as if Marik purposefully clouded them to hide his true nature.

That pair of eyes didn't concern him much. It was the second ones, the orbs that bore into him _after_ the foreigner revealed himself to be the true Marik, that was burned into his memory like a brand to flesh.

They were the same as the first, and yet not like them in the least. Lavender gave way to mauve and violet, like clouded amethysts—they were as cold as the stone too, not even bothering to show emotion even if it was fake. When their eyes had locked, Jou felt like prey caught in its predator's gaze, forced to stare into the depths of nothing. And there _was_ more depth—more _intensity_ than Jou could have envisioned. Deep, deep into darkness, everlasting darkness—black holes that absorbed the light and captured any foolish enough to fall under its spell… anyone who looked to him in rage and found it sucked away, into the portals that were his eyes… anyone like himself….

"Ah…!" Jou hissed, reeling back. He ran his fingers through his messy golden bangs, barely able to rake through the tangles. The wind atop the blimp had done murder to his hair. If he were more conscious of his appearance, he might have searched for a comb to fix it. _Damn… why was I thinkin' bout his eyes_ _like that? Who cares what they look like—all that matters is that I crush him in the finals, so that Mai'll be okay. All I want to see in his eyes is the fear of defeat._

He would destroy him, that Jonouchi had vowed. And then he, Katsuya Jonouchi, will have saved the world from impending doom. He will have defeated the evil Marik for Yuge and Yami, and have rescued Mai from the dark powers that imprisoned her. If he beat him, then he could save his friends, and the world….

If he could beat him… then _he'd_ be the hero for once.

If he could destroy him, then he would no longer have to see Marik, or remember his eyes… the eyes that burned into his memory, and the voice that had imbedded itself among his thoughts when he was made into a puppet…!

Jonouchi scowled, frown lines etching deep into his face. "Argh… gotta stop thinkin' 'bout that!" He ambled on, trying to focus his thoughts on the actual subject at hand: finding his room again. Looking around, confused, he knew for certain that he was hopelessly lost. "I need to get some sleep, that's all. Yeah, some sleep… maybe that'll finally clear my head—"

Jonouchi stopped. Even in his ramblings, the sound of another's footfalls was too loud to ignore after hearing nothing else for so long. Halting mid-step, the blond's gaze shot forward, watching as someone turned the corner ahead of him, coming his way. He expected, at this late hour, to see no one, or if he did happen to run into someone it would be one of Kaiba's cronies.

Instead, as the person came into his sight, his eyes met a tall man with corn-silk hair that flared in all directions, and a cruel smirk that seemed painted on his sun-kissed face. Jou's breath hitched in his throat when stunned copper fell into lethal lilac.

"You…." Jonouchi breathed, the word barely escaping his parted lips. There, across the hall, stood Marik, the one person he felt more hatred for than anyone else in his life. The one person he feared more than anyone else in his life. The one person he… Jonouchi's thoughts faded, as the eyes he had come to hate and fear so much, the eyes that haunted his mind, finally sparked with recognition as they turned towards him. They seemed to almost peer into his soul.

Jou knew those eyes had seen his soul before, inside and out. There was nothing he could hide from the one who once controlled his mind. He tried to hide his fear, his lips curled into a vicious snarl and his eyes narrowed in anger. He was about to go into a fighting pose, but found himself frozen, locked in place by the demon's stare.

A deep, sinuous chuckle reverberated off the cold, stark walls, as Marik's lips unfurled into a long, lazy grin. He sauntered forward, towards Jou, his footsteps echoing like hollow thuds in the boy's ears as his purple cape billowed behind him like a lingering shadow. The eye on his forehead was flashing, brighter than the fluorescent lights overhead, which flickered and buzzed as he walked underneath them.

"Hello there, little _Jonouchi_," Marik said, his voice like slithering snakes as they coiled through Jou's senses. The Egyptian came closer, now only a few feet away as he regarded him with something like amusement. "It is very late… I would think you'd be resting, for the battle tomorrow will bring…." Drifting like a shadow, Marik brought his face so close to Jonouchi's that the boy could feel the man's breath tickle his skin. The sensation sent shivers down the duelist's spine. "Couldn't sleep, perhaps?"

Jou knew Marik was only trying to intimidate him. Pushing his fear aside, Jonouchi snarled in his face. "Shut up!" he hissed. "What's it to you, anyways?"

At his hostility Marik's amusement only seemed to grow. He tilted his head to the side, his half-lidded eyes laughing at him, making the growl in Jou's throat rumble instantly. Marik chuckled wickedly.

"It is nothing to me," Marik admitted, not pulling away. Under the artificial lights his sharp teeth glinted like ivory, and Jonouchi's stomach flipped uneasily at the sight of them. "I do not care if you are well rested or tired come tomorrow… if we are to duel, little Jonouchi, I will destroy you either way." It may have been a threat, but the way the words rolled off the foreigner's tongue made the sentence seem almost… appealing. The animalistic grin the speaker wore, however, failed to back up that impression. "Just like I destroyed your little _friend_…."

Jou's eyes flashed, hatred burning like fire in them. "I won't let you get away with what you did to Mai!" he shouted. "You'll pay for that!" Rage swelled up inside him. If he didn't kill Marik by tomorrow, Mai would never awaken… Mai would die, if Jonouchi did not save her.

He couldn't let that happen. He would make Marik pay the price—the demon's soul in exchange for Mai's. It was a bargain Jonouchi was all too happy to consider.

Again, the amused chuckle Jou had come to loathe lingered in the air. "_You_ won't let _me_ get away with it? Hmph." Marik crossed his arms against his chest. "You make it sound like you have the power to do that. How humorous." Pulling back, Marik towered over the blond, his eyes clouded with some emotion Jou could not recognize. He watched him for several moments, before walking past the stunned duelist and heading down the hall.

"Hey—wait!" Jonouchi whipped around, his face contorted in resentment. "Where d'ya think you're going?"

"Your foolish bravery has amused me for one day," Marik said casually. He didn't bother turning around, instead continuing to walk away. "I'll leave you to your dreams of beating me, for they'll be all you have once I am through with you and the Pharaoh."

Without thinking Jonouchi reached out, grabbing Marik's shoulder roughly. "Who said you were going anywhere?" he snapped, with a sudden burst of revulsion. He vaguely noted how Marik's cold eyes turned to him, regarding him bitterly. "I ain't finished yet, _Marik_!"

He briefly wondered why he just didn't let the whole thing go. If he just let Marik walk away, he probably had a better chance of living to see tomorrow, so long as Marik didn't kill him in his sleep. Letting his ire get the best of him, though, he tightened his grip on Marik's shoulder and tried to pull him back, only to find that the demon was too strong for him to move.

And was probably far stronger than him in general, if his muscular arms were any indication… not to mention he had the Millennium Rod, which also happen to be a good tool for _skinning_ people….

But Jonouchi pushed that all aside. Mai was on the line—he couldn't think of what could happen to him, only what he could to do Marik. His own sanity too, was at stake… if he could do this much, maybe he could let Marik leave his conscious forever, instead of haunting him as he had. Ever since he kidnapped him, _raped_ his mind, and then used him to try and kill Yugi and Yami, Jonouchi couldn't help but feel anger and fear towards his once-captor and master… and yet, at the same time, feelings far beyond his comprehension, maybe even ones that weren't even his _own_, filled him when he looked into those eyes. Feelings that could not be shaken, even when accompanied by unrelenting, white-hot anger.

He wanted to kill him, but at the same time… at the same time….

Marik stole a glance over his shoulder as Jonouchi regained his composure and took the moment to strike. His one hand gripping Marik's shoulder, the other curled into a tight fist as Jonouchi readied to land the blow. He swung forward, his fist inches from colliding with Marik's cheekbone….

Like Jonouchi assumed, Marik _was_ just as strong, if not stronger, than the blond physically. He was also lightening fast, as his own hand came up and grabbed Jou's fist, stopping it just before it was to meet his cheek. Jou's body trembled as he felt Marik's grip tighten like a vice over his hand, as if he were trying to crush a soda can. His eyes, calm and emotionless, watched as Jou's face crumpled with pain and distress.

"Fool—are you so eager to get back your precious Mai?"

Jou glared up, gritting his teeth as Marik refused to let up on his hand. He could feel the Egyptian's nails digging into his flesh, drawing blood, and he held back the desire to yelp. "I'm going… to kill you," Jou whispered harshly, his honey-brown eyes flaring like liquid amber. "I'll kill you, and then Mai'll be okay. I ain't gonna wait till tomorrow—I'm gonna kill you now, and then this whole mess will be **over**!"

Marik's face cracked into a wild grin, one that seemed to stretch across his entire jaw. His eyes narrowed, the deathly pools of lilac observing him as he bared his teeth.

"Is that _all_?" Letting go of Jou's hand, the blond didn't waste a single second—he attempted to knee Marik in the stomach, but the eye on the demon's forehead flashed suddenly, and Jou found himself unceremoniously pinned against the wall by some unseen force. He grunted in pain as his back slammed against the hard steel wall, but the breath he did lose was quickly sucked back in when Marik's face appeared inches from his.

"Is that the only reason you want to kill me?" Marik's eyes, just like the Shadow Magic he used, kept Jonouchi cornered. Swallowing, Jou nodded, and the smirk on Marik's face seemed to grow even more, if that were possible. "Well then, if this is so…."

Marik moved away from Jonouchi, and from behind him he brought forth his Item, the Millennium Rod. As the gold artifact glimmered under the bright lights, Jonouchi's eyes widened with fear. What did Marik plan to do to him now? Could he use the Item to try and make him his mind slave again, even though Jonouchi had fought him out the last time? Or, would he try to….

Jou's fears seemed realized the moment Marik unsheathed the Millennium Rod, turning it into a dagger. The light flashed off the golden blade, and as Marik drew closer Jonouchi squirmed against the wall. He couldn't move, couldn't run… Marik very well had it in his power to kill him if he wanted to. He remembered what he said, back on the roof.

"_As for __**you**__… I can kill you whenever I want."_

The deadpan look in those heavy-lidded eyes conveyed the words as if he were saying them in his ear.

He stood right in front of Jonouchi now. As he brought up the Millennium Rod, Jou screwed his eyes shut and waited, knowing the inevitable was most likely to come. His eyes flew back open an instant later, though, when instead of feeling the cold edge of the blade, he felt himself fall from his place on the wall. He stumbled to his feet, suddenly released from where Marik's shadow magic held him fast. Jou looked up to empty lilac eyes, confused and wary.

Marik only responded by holding out the Rod to him, the dagger-end pointing away from the blond. Jou stared at it, unable to grasp what was going on….

After a moment Marik shook his head, as if pitying him for his lack of perception. "Take it," Marik commanded. Jou's eyes shot up to meet his. The cold iciness failed to melt away. "Take it and kill me."

"Wh—What?"

"I said, _take_ the Rod and _kill_ me." At Jou's hesitation, a dry laugh escaped Marik's lips. "Well? Why do you hesitate, little Jonouchi? Isn't this what you wanted a moment ago?" His gaze narrowed, observing him closely. "Didn't you just say you wanted to kill me? To save your little friends?"

He had said that. He remembered saying that, like a distant memory.

Jonouchi still didn't grab the Rod. When he failed to react, Marik growled, impatient. He shoved the Item into the blond's hands, startling Jou from his thoughts.

"Do it," Marik taunted. He backed away a step and outstretched his arms, his chest wide-open and unprotected. "Here is your chance, little Jonouchi. Kill me, like you vowed you would! Kill me… if you can."

Jou gripped the golden staff tightly in his sweaty hands, his face twisted in dismay. In his hands, in his _very_ hands, he held something that could do what he'd wanted to do so badly—kill Marik Ishtar. One stab was all it would take. Finally, after so much suffering, the battle would be over. It didn't matter that he could very well go to jail for stabbing someone. He would go to prison if it meant that Mai would wake up again, and the world was safe.

He wanted this. He _said_ he wanted this, _vowed_ that he would do it. Now here it was.

Jou looked up and stared at Marik. The Egyptian was still standing there, arms out, watching him with an uncanny look of enjoyment, as if he were taking delight in the boy's uncertainty and fear. It wasn't the look on his face, however, that caught Jonouchi's attention.

"The Ring…." The Item, _Ryou's_ Item, was hanging around Marik's neck and stood out against his tight black shirt. As his eyes fell upon it he heard Marik laugh quietly in reply.

"Oh yes, have you noticed my new prize?" Bringing one arm back down, he fingered the Millennium Ring, as it glinted under the austere lighting. He grinned maniacally at the confused look on Jou's face. "That fool Bakura, he tried to use my primary personality's knowledge of Ra to defeat me. For that and for betraying me, he deserved the fate I dealt him."

"You…!" Jou held the Rod so tightly his knuckles turned white. "What'd you do to Ryou!" His aggression getting the best of him again Jonouchi stalked forward and grabbed Marik by the collar of his cape, his other hand holding the dagger up as if to strike him. Marik laughed, as if the sharp blade held so close to him was of no threat whatsoever. "Tell me! What'd you—?"

"He lost a Shadow Game, just like your precious _Mai_," Marik sneered. "He lost, and the punishment for that is death. Ryou Bakura is no more. The fool knew these consequences when he challenged me."

Jonouchi froze, his breath hitched into his throat. Ryou was… gone? He was… dead…?

"N-No…!" Jonouchi stammered, trying to shove Marik against the opposite wall. He didn't have the strength to move the demon, even if he really tried. "NO! You bastard! You couldn't have… he's not…!"

"He _is_," Marik clarified, impassive. "His soul has been sacrificed to the shadows. He fails to exist now, just as your Mai will. Just as the Pharaoh will" Marik added with a sinister laugh, "and everyone else you care about. Your little friends, you sister… all will fall before me into everlasting darkness!"

Jonouchi held Marik's collar closely, his eyes burning with his hatred. The tip of the dagger was just lightly brushing Marik's cheek, so close that if the blond wanted to he could cut the Egyptian's cheek with a feather-like stroke. He felt his anger, like a raging forest fire, burn through his insides and seep out through his stare. He wanted to slice open Marik's throat and watch him _bleed_ all over the floor. Ryou, didn't deserve anything to happen to him, and neither did Mai! No one did!

"You… you _monster_…!"

"Do you hate me?" Marik asked nonchalantly. Jou looked at him, puzzled by the words that sounded so calm and strange. Marik smirked. "Do you despise me? With all your being and soul?"

Images of Mai and Ryou flashed through his mind. Jou answered without a second thought.

"'Course I hate you," he barked. "I'll hate you until I die, you bastard."

"Then do it," Marik answered. He laid his arms at his sides and watched him evenly. "Do it, mortal. Kill me."

The words almost hung in the air as if they were solid.

_Kill me_.

The hand that held the Rod trembled as Jou tried to bring it forward. Marik examined him blankly, following his every move. It unnerved Jou—how could the guy be so confident? How could he be so sure that, even with a weapon in his hand and his anger fueled by taunting, Jonouchi would not strike him down? Did the Shadow Magic somehow make him impervious to assault?

_That's_ _impossible_, Jou snapped, _even for __**him**_! Though, it seemed anything was possible when it came to the Millennium Items.

Jou tried again, but his hand only trembled, as if fighting off the command he gave. He stared at the Rod, his reserve faltering. Why couldn't he do it? Why couldn't he bring himself to kill him?

He had the ability, there was no questioning that. Being in a gang, he knew what to do—he knew how to kill someone, though he never needed to. He came close sometimes, but those days were so long ago… had he been separated from the gangs for such a time that he'd lost his nerve to kill?

One look into those dangerous purple eyes, and he couldn't bring himself to do it, nor admit it. He _had_ to kill Marik—it was the only way to save Mai and the others.

So why couldn't he do it now, when he had the perfect chance…?

He glanced back up at Marik's face and stared at his taunting eyes. He scowled—he wouldn't so easily let this evil person destroy his resolve to kill him! His golden eyes still trained to the Egyptian Jonouchi pulled the dagger Item away from his tanned skin. Marik watched him do so lazily, before a slow smile crept up on his face, making chills crawl all the way up Jonouchi's back.

"Could not bring yourself to do it?" Marik asked. His tone sounded curious.

A frown tugged at Jou's face as his eyes fell downcast, avoiding the shame of his defeat. "I'll… I'll face you in a duel. Tomorrow. That's the honorable way." He glanced back up, his eyes hard like stone. He would not show what was roaring through him right now, the voice screaming at him to stab, _now_ and stab _hard_. "But I _will_ kill you, _Marik_!"

The smirk he wore didn't hide his amusement at the statement. Jou knew he had a right to be—since he couldn't follow-up on his word the first time. "Will you?" he asked.

Jou dropped his arm—the one that held the Millennium Rod—to his side and looked away. For a moment he felt resigned from fighting Marik, and in that split-second of calm he sighed.

"I don't have much of a choice," he said, deadpan.

In the time it took him to take another breath it was pulled from him, as he felt the force of hands—strong hands—push him into the wall behind him. He barely had time to catch his leaving breath again before hands bounds his wrists above his head, the Millennium Rod dropping from his surprised clutches. It dropped to the floor with a brusque clank.

He was staring into those lilac eyes again. He was staring into them, being sucked into them, and only when he realize this did the rest of Marik's face finally come into view. Black kohl lined his eyes, like frames on a window, and it expressed his already exotic features. His skin was flawless, like dark velvet, with veins protruding from his forehead—some strands from his wild hair extended out to Jou's, tickling his face. But this was no laughing matter, as Marik stared him down, his nose so close to his own that they could nearly touch… and their lips, just an inch away—

"You have more choices than you think, little Jonouchi," Marik all but purred, and the shiver that went through Jou's body was more like an electric current sizzling through a wire. "Far more…."

"I gotta… kill you…," Jonouchi breathed, trying to ignore just how close they were. "To save Mai, and the world. If I kill you, then everyone'll be safe!"

"That is if you _can_ kill me," Marik mused, his heavy-lidded eyes alit with a dull sheen. "But, perhaps consider another way. Have you ever thought to do so, Jonouchi?"

Jou shook his head, and the other laughed brashly. "Of course not, why would you? The _Pharaoh_—" Marik all but spat at the name, like he had said a tabooed curse— "has made you think only of my destruction. That isn't the only way to solve your dilemma, however—"

"Then what is!" Jou asked hastily, his eyes pleading. How could he ask this demon for help—when _he_ was the one that did the damage? Marik couldn't tell him anything of worth. Who even knew if his word was trustworthy? "You told me that if I didn't kill you by tomorrow, Mai'll die. Were you lying to me then? Is there another way?"

His desperation must have shown like a beacon, because Marik was grinning from ear to ear. Desperate… and pinned to the wall… not a good position to be making demands.

After a long moment of watching, Marik leaned in close to Jou's ear. Jonouchi flinched as Marik moved, his hair brushing up against his face like silken tendrils. The warm breath that swept against Jou's ear made him flush pink. "Will you do anything to save her?" he whispered.

Jou's eyes widened. "What…?"

"I said, will you do _anything_ to save her? Your Mai?" Marik repeated. Though he could not see his expression, Jou was sure he could picture Marik leering into the side of his head. "Will you do anything to keep your sister safe from harm? From any of your other friends getting hurt?"

For a second, Jonouchi was about to answer with a stern no. The tone in Marik's voice was undeniable. The blond knew what he must have been thinking. But then Mai swam into his vision, and to imagine her lost and being eaten away, his tenacity gave way instantly.

He closed his eyes. "Y-Yes," he choked. "I would."

He could hear Marik snickering under his breath—pulling back up into Jonouchi's sight, he could see the demon's eyes looking down at him with an infinitely pleased air.

"Then," he answered softly, "there _are_ other options."

The breath hitched in Jou's throat at the way he said the words. "What… do you mean…?"

"Do you want _power_, Jonouchi?" Marik waited for his response, but Jou could only watch him, blank-faced. "Do you want to be free of being little Yugi's shadow?"

"I'm not—"

"Stop fooling yourself," Marik interrupted. "You know, deep down, that it is true. Aren't you tired of him always being the hero? No matter how much you do, or how often he needs your help, in the end you will always be the side-kick, the lackey, the best friend. Never anything more. As long as little Yugi and, especially, the _Pharaoh_ are still around, you will never be Number One." His voice dropped to a husky whisper, one that drawled deep down in Jou's conscious. "You will always be below them. Them and Seto Kaiba—and what's more, you're just the normal boy, the _mortal_. You do not possess magic. You do not own a God card. There's nothing special about you. As Kaiba said, you were just lucky enough to make it here, a human amongst Gods." He smirked darkly. "Wouldn't you like something more?"

Jonouchi growled against his bindings, even though the words had rang true. He didn't want to admit that they were. Instead he argued, "But Yuge's my friend! And so's the Pharaoh—"

"Friends do not bring you power," Marik droned deeply. The sound was hypnotic and Jou became lost in it, finding himself once again trapped in Marik's eyes. Those dark, dangerous eyes. "Friends may bring you courage. They may bring you strength. But never _power_." The foreigner moved a little closer but Jou did not notice. "Raw, unmatched power. With that you can be more than just some lackey to the Pharaoh. If you have power you will be their equal—do not let the Pharaoh deceive you. He only wants to keep you down so that he can be the center of attention. He calls you his friend the first minute so that you won't become his rival the next." Marik licked his lips, as if a tasty thought just came to mind. He leaned in closer. "You've always wanted to be the hero, little Jonouchi. To be that you need power… power _I_ can give you… power you can use to protect your little friends, even if they choose to push you away for the choices you have made…."

Jou did not fight back as Marik's grip on his wrists tightened, or as the Egyptian suddenly drew close enough to him so that their bodies touched. He was right, he _did_ want to be the hero. He always wanted to be something worthy of a title… but even with his skills he never had the satisfaction of such an earning. Yuge always got that. Kaiba always got that. He didn't get that—he didn't have a chance. There was nothing left for _him_, the one in third place, in a world where only first place meant something.

The eye on Marik's forehead flashed lightly, as one of the hands that bound Jonouchi's arms above his head came down. One hand was enough it seemed to keep Jou fixed in place. "There are other things, too," he said, his voice slithering through the air like a snake. Jou cringed slightly when Marik traced the lining of his jaw, but the captivating tone of his voice kept him from struggling. "Many others. I can save your little friends. The one you call Ryou Bakura, for example. I can spare your other little friends as well, keep them from the rising darkness. It would not be difficult for me," Marik purred. He then leaned in closer, as close as he possibly could, and Jonouchi now discovered how truly close they were.

But he didn't want Marik to stop. Not now. Not when he made everything he promised sound so wonderful….

"And most importantly," Marik whispered," I can save your precious _Mai_…." Jonouchi's eyes widened, his body tensed—he didn't know if it was from what Marik had said, or if it was because Marik's hips had suddenly rolled into his as if by accident. From the look on Marik's face, every move he made was _no_ accident. "Yes, I can save her from the darkness. Save her from herself, since it was the darkness _she_ so longingly sought, and I so willingly gave her. You do not have to risk your puny life trying to kill me for your noble causes. I will give you what you want, Jonouchi. I have it within my power… power that you want, that I know you hunger for…."

"How…." Jou could barely speak now, his focus so attentive on the way Marik's arm was sliding around his waist that it barely allowed for thinking. His grip felt like steel, so protective… so possessive. "How… do you know—?"

"I was inside your mind once, little Jonouchi, if you have so easily forgotten." Marik let his grip on Jou's wrists fall away, but Jou still found himself against the wall, unable to move. The Egyptian's Shadow Magic continued to keep him still. Marik bent down to pick up the Millennium Item, before turning towards the blond once more. "Or at least my original self had. But I know what he knows—I know what you are, _who_ you are, inside your mind. I know every crevice and corner, more so than even _you_ yourself do." Jonouchi shivered. The feeling of his mind belonging to someone else was rekindled, and the fear of someone knowing him to the core was unsettling. "I know you, inside and out, like the pages of a book. Is that perhaps… the _real_ reason you wish me dead?" Marik grinned, his canines glittering perilously. "Because I am the only one besides you, who knows the _truly_ dark secrets in your heart? Because I am the one… who knows of the things you _really_ desire?"

Marik smashed his body against Jonouchi's, making him gasp. He was quickly cut off by a pair of cold lips as they claimed his with bruising force—before Jou could react Marik's tongue snaked inside, destroying any fight Jou would have tried to put up. Marik's arm, wrapped around Jou's waist, pushed him closer to his body. Jou's mind became swept up in the delicious sensation, as his conscious tried to fight away the feelings. Marik was the enemy—he had to kill him! He had to make him stop… but he didn't want to stop… not when he enjoyed feeling so caught up in the demon's spell.

Eventually Marik pulled away, and to Jonouchi's horror a whimper escaped his swollen lips, like he wanted more. Jou promptly shut his mouth to force away any other automatic encouragement, but the damage was already done as Marik grinned wildly.

"You see now…? Your deepest, darkest desires—I know them. I know them… I _understand_ them. More than any of your little friends could." He whispered seductively into Jonouchi's ear, and though Jou couldn't have been sure, the light in the room seemed to suddenly grow very, very dim…. "I can give you power, if that is what you choose. I can provide you and your friends safety, if that is what you choose. I can bring back your Mai, if you want her to live so badly. And in the end…." He nipped Jonouchi's earlobe, causing the blond to gasp in surprise. "I can give you the things you hunger for… the feelings you yearn for. And I know that is what you will choose." Marik returned to face him, mesmeric lilac eyes locking with his so Jonouchi could not look away. "All you have to do, is give yourself to _me_, little Jonouchi…."

The blond knew that had to be coming. What else could Jou possible have to give him but himself? The intensive gaze of his captor, however, kept him from answering for more than a moment.

"But, I wouldn't—I couldn't—"

"Did you not say you would do anything to save her? To help them?" Marik's eyes bore into his, allowing Jou to get lost in them with his indecision. Despite their emptiness, Marik's eyes had an alluringness to them that was unquestionable. They were risky—they represented all Jonouchi could gamble for. A lucky chance; wasn't Jonouchi's fate always one for a gamble? A gamble against the odds?

A gamble with the darker things… a deal with the Devil himself?

"You said you would risk anything…" Marik chanted. "Anything… wasn't that right?"

"Y-Yes…."

"Then you would risk your freedom for their own." It was more like a command than a question. "You should not have a problem with it. The answer is so simple… try to kill me, and your chances vary. Challenge me, and I will make sure you _lose. _Serve me, little Jonouchi, and the odds are in your favor. Power, control, safety… all of them I offer, with _benefits_, even. Accept my proposal, and it will all be as I said it would."

"You wouldn't… you wouldn't hurt Yuge, or the Pharaoh? If I wanted that?" Jou asked, the last shreds of himself just starting to fall away.

Marik grinned thoughtfully. "I would… _spare_ their lives from the deaths they deserve," he said carefully. He gripped Jou's chin, forcing him not to look away like he tried to. "I will do that, if you wish it. So… do we have a deal?"

Endless lilac. So much of it, like pools of purple paint, shimmering and swirling….

_I can give you power_.

Jou's mouth felt dry. Was what Marik offered really the answer?

_I can protect your friends… I would spare their lives from the deaths they deserve_.

He remembered the way Marik's mouth tasted… did he even _care_ if what he offered was the right thing?

_I can give you the things you hunger for… the feelings you yearn._

He felt so tempted to answer, but his words felt caught in his throat… and those eyes, it was hard to speak when those eyes still encompassed his vision.

_And most importantly… I can save your precious Mai_.

Mai. Jonouchi didn't want her to die. He couldn't _allow_ her to die—he would never forgive himself if she did. It would be his fault, if he failed… especially when Marik was willing to save her, if all he did was give himself to him….

_So… do we have a deal_?

"I-I…."

"JONOUCHI!" The loud voice boomed, cutting off Jonouchi as he turned in surprise. Yami stood at the end of the hall, his pose tense as he stared at the two of them with wide eyes. They narrowed into venomous slits when they fell upon the other person in the hall. "_Marik_! Get the hell away from Jonouchi! Now!"

Though the blond had jerked in shock at Yami's intrusion, Marik did not seem the least nerved. Slowly he cocked his head, looking at the Pharaoh with something like hate in his eyes. Then the lazy grin returned, his teeth displayed like he had the mouth of a crocodile.

"Ah, Pharaoh… how nice of you to join us," Marik said, but the growl in his voice was evident. "Little Jonouchi and I were just… discussing some topics of importance. Nothing you would ever be concerned with, _Your Highness_."

Jou could see the eye forming on Yami's forehead. "_Get. Away. From. Him."_

The teen knew Marik was finding amusement in Yami's resentment—being so close he was the only one to hear the rumbling chuckle in Marik's throat. "Keh heh…your hatred is so sweet, Pharaoh. I'd love to feel it at its full wrath. But, that is an occasion best saved for tomorrow." Marik moved away from Jonouchi, and as he did so, the eye on his forehead blazed and Jou fell from the wall, his legs wobbly as he barely kept himself from falling on his face. "Tomorrow, let me feel your anger at its fullest. It will make my victory all the _sweeter_…."

"Be gone!" Yami snapped. Marik replaced the sheath on the Millennium Rod and glared at Yami, before turning back to Jou. The teen felt the stare before he even saw it.

"Do not forget what I have said, little Jonouchi," Marik hissed, but a delightful grin made the harsh words seem less callous. "It still stands." In a low voice only Jonouchi could hear, he added, "My side will be the side that survives, little Jou. You know what it is you truly want." Taking one last hateful glance at the Pharaoh, Marik sauntered down the hall, almost slipping away like the shadows. He disappeared around the corner, and Jou released a breath he didn't even know he was holding.

He heard Yami sigh too. Turning to see his friend approach him, Jonouchi tried to act as natural as he could… tried not to give away that he almost made a deal with the Devil.

"Are you alright, Jonouchi?" Yami asked, concern filling his voice.

The blond nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry 'bout me, Yami."

"Of course," the spirit replied, winking. His expression faded into a serious scowl as violet eyes gazed down the hall. "Marik… I can't believe he would have the nerve to attack you here, outside of a duel. No sense of honor." Yami focused back on Jonouchi. "Are you sure he didn't…?"

"I told ya, he didn't do anything," Jonouchi assured him. "I'm fine, see? Nothing to worry about. Ol' Jonouchi can handle himself, you know."

"I understand, but…." Yami sighed heavily, resigned. "He is dangerous, Jonouchi. His hatred for me and everyone around me puts you and the others at risk. We have already lost some of our comrades to him."

"Yeah…," Jou agreed, but as his eyes returned to where Marik had once been, a different feeling filled his senses. It wasn't one of hatred and fear. No, not anymore. Now it was confusion… confusion, and indecision.

Yami patted him on the back, startling him from his wonderings. "Come on, Jou. We should head back to our rooms and rest for tomorrow's duels. We'll need our strength if we are to defeat Marik and save our friends."

"Y-yeah… sure thing." Jou followed, his eyes trailing away as Yami pulled him down the hall the opposite way.

Even with Yami talking to him, giving him encouragement in the silence, Jonouchi felt miles away. He felt trapped in darkness, in his own mind, with Marik's voice cooing to him in his head:

_The answer is so simple… try to kill me, and your chances vary. Challenge me, and I will make sure you lose. Serve me, little Jonouchi, and the odds are in your favor. Power, control, safety… all of them I offer, with benefits, even. Accept my proposal, and it will all be as I said it would._

Power. His friend's safety. Mai's life.

They were powerful lures. What if it really was all that simple? What if giving himself to Marik, to the darkness, was all it took to end the battle? To end the suffering?

Jou knew he would do anything to save them, to save Mai. He would put his own life on the line, if that's what it came to, if that would rid them of Marik. But… there was always a chance he'd lose, and his sacrifice would all be for nothing….

Sacrifice of a different sort. Sacrifice of his freedom, of his mind. Give that, and everything would be saved. Guaranteed.

It was Marik, though. Marik could have been lying through his teeth. If Jonouchi accepted, for all he knew, Marik would use the Rod to control him and use him against Yuge again. Could he risk everything on Marik's word alone?

… What would the gang think of him if they knew he even considered such an offer?

_So… do we have a deal?_

Jonouchi didn't know what to think, what to decide upon. His conscious told him no, to kill Marik, to do the right thing. The rest of him, however….

_I can give you the things you hunger for… the feelings you yearn for. And I know that is what you will choose._

Well, one thing was for certain. No matter what Jonouchi chose, he would have some very, _very_ interesting dreams from now on.

_And if he accepted… so __**very **__much more. _

_**AsForYou, ICanKillYouAnytimeIWant…KehHehHeh**_

Author's Note: PHEW! Man that was long.

But was it enjoyable? Me no say. That is up to you, beloved readers!!

Reviews are like crack, and I'm an addict. GIVE THE ADDICT WHAT SHE WANTS!! XD

Hugz and cookiez to all!


End file.
